Pages

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Williams v. Lee case brief

Williams v. Lee case brief summary358 U.S. 217 (1959)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Respondent merchant filed a collection
action against petitioners, Native American customers, for goods sold
on credit at a store located on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The
Supreme Court of Arizona affirmed the trial court's judgment that the
state courts had jurisdiction. Petitioners sought review.

CASE
FACTSA non-Native American merchant ran a
general store on a Navajo reservation.

DISCUSSION

The court found that the
Arizona state court improperly exercised jurisdiction of a collection
action filed by the merchant against the Native American customers.

The court held that states have no power to regulate the affairs of
Native Americans on a reservation.

The court found that the Navajo
Courts of Indian Offenses exercised broad criminal and civil
jurisdiction that covered suits by outsiders against Native American
defendants.

Federal law granted states the power to assume
jurisdiction over reservation matters if the state legislature or the
people affirmatively accepted the responsibility.

The court found
that Arizona expressly disclaimed such jurisdiction.

The court held
that the Navajo Treaty of 1868 controlled and civil jurisdiction
resided with the reservation's courts.

CONCLUSION
The judgment was reversed so that the tribal courts could properly
exercise authority over a reservation matter pursuant to a treaty.Recommended Supplements for Civil Procedure

No comments:

Post a Comment

ShareThis

.

I have often tried to make the cases available as links in case you are a student without a textbook.

All the information on this site is constantly updated and edited. Furthermore, if you have any outlines you want to share, so that others, free of charge, may benefit, please send those to be posted here. Likewise, if you have case briefs you would like to share, please send them to [email protected].

Please keep in mind that this site makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the cases listed here or the current status of law. These cases are derived from class notes and laws change over time. If you have any questions about these materials, or any other legal questions, you should consult an attorney who is a member of the bar of the state you reside in.